Article needs its own title, different from video title, no space for sub-title. Industry leaders gathered in Barcelona during 2025 IBTM World to address key advocacy issues facing the industry, and to identify what collective actions could be taken at high-level and what work needs to be done at the local level where business event…
VisitScotland’s Rory Archibald outlines the ambitious thinking behind Scotland’s new business events strategy: deep conversations with association clients to understand what knowledge is being generated and exchanged, long-term data gathering plan, fast and flexible integration of past mistakes, strong alignment with policy goals for Scotland and its aspirations for citizens’ wellbeing.
Where some destinations see only a glamorous sporting event, Singapore leveraged the most recent edition of its Formula 1 race to host and in some cases to originate and organise 25 strategic international business events. Director of Singapore Exhibition & Convention Bureau, Carrie Kwik, explains how Singapore’s advantages as a regional hub for top talent,…
For the fourth year in a row, ESAE (European Society of Association Executives) curated and organised IBTM World’s Association Leadership Forum in Barcelona last November. International and European association leaders explored ways to design their meetings strategy in a less transactional way, and instead to use these events to drive forward the Mission and Vision…
From Exempla: Exempla Management & Consulting, based in Brussels, Belgium, and Meet4Impact, based in Montreal, Canada are excited to announce a strategic partnership, creating new consultancy services designed to enhance the impact of mission-driven international associations. This collaboration brings together the complementary strengths of both teams to offer a unique, integrated value proposition.
Gathering Point’s David Adler explains how media-hosted events became the most lucrative — and least examined — marketplace for public advocacy. And what is true for the USA will almost certainly be the case in other arenas of policymaking influence, from the EU to Asia-Pacific.
From Meetings & Conventions Asia: Thanks to government policy, investment in an excellent events ecosystem and soaring ambition, Dubai is emerging as a global healthcare superstar. Its desire to provide a bridge for international knowledge-sharing is proving irresistible to some of the world’s most important medical events.
The German Trade Show industry contributes around €30bn annually to Germany’s economic output and safeguards at least 280,000 jobs, according to a recent report from the economic research institute Prognos, commissioned by the Association of the German Trade Fair Industry (AUMA). The study is based on surveys of over 33,700 visitors and 17,700 exhibiting companies…
A cooling labor market is compounding a long-simmering problem. Event professionals are being asked to do more with fewer resources, less institutional support, and, often, less pay. Simultaneously, seasoned professionals are exiting the industry at an accelerating pace. In many cases, they are replaced by less experienced workers, or not replaced at all.
Destinations International’s Jane Cunningham and MMGY NextFactor’s Managing Director Cassandra Gilbertson discuss the ways in which DI’s latest biennial study will shape the policy priorities and primary challenges facing destination organisations worldwide over the coming years. A huge shift in business models and strategic responsibilities has been taking place over the last decade, moving from…
The Rotterdam edition of Convening EMEA featured keynote speaker, academic and economist, Noreena Hertz, who set the scene to an event designed to ensure human connection across generations and the diverse sub-groups of the PCMA community. There was an underlying sense that there is a changing of the guard under way as Boomers prepare to…
Gustav Källstrand has for many years hosted the Nobel Prize Museum’s podcast, in which numerous Nobel laureates emphasise the importance of community, collaboration and of course international meetings in the evolution of truly revolutionary ideas. This wide-ranging essay explores the mindsets of these top thinkers and the environments in which their successful breakthroughs are possible.
Globally, association leaders are rethinking what their events and global activities are meant to achieve, with the end goal being to create outcomes that matter – impact. As expectations evolve, destinations are increasingly assessed by the role they play in shaping these outcomes and enabling longer-term and meaningful impact. From Boardroom…
From Kenes Group: In an era where attention spans are short and information overload is constant, one timeless skill is reshaping the future of medical education: storytelling. At first glance, the idea of using narrative techniques to teach healthcare professionals might sound unconventional. Yet, stories have always been how humans learn…
Slovakia’s two largest cities, Bratislava and Košice, are taking advantage of their networks of universities, research institutes, innovation centres and start-up clusters serving Automotive, IT, Energy, Life Sciences and Creative industries, to carefully target international events that will gain from interacting with these local centres of intellectual excellence. From AMI…
From City Nation Place: When it comes to marketing, we often talk about moving “customers” through the funnel – in place branding terms, what it takes to convert your target audience into visitors, investors, or residents. But what about when it comes to attracting, developing, and nurturing brand ambassadors? Stakeholder engagement and management is crucial…
When international conferences take place in Sydney, their influence extends well beyond industry networking and economic return. Through a strategic partnership between BESydney and the NSW Department of Education, business events are being translated into real-world impact, inspiring students, equipping teachers, and preparing communities for the jobs of tomorrow. From Boardroom…
The Iceberg, presented by the Joint Meetings Industry Council (JMIC), exists to enable its Partners & Ambassadors to advocate the transformative socio-economic and societal impacts generated by business and professional events . The Tip of The Iceberg: A Visitor Economy Great work by the Events Industry Council (EIC), in partnership with Oxford Economics, has quantified…
Dr Mike Duigan from the Centre for Events & Festivals clarifies how two very different but equally powerful conceptual frameworks – Theory of Change and Field Configuring Events – can be used in tandem to generate practical, lasting transformation, both in host destinations and more generally in service of the event-owning organisation’s mission.
This excellent overview of the conference discussions and presentations by Boardroom’s Vicky Koffa highlights key concerns and opportunities facing organisers of medical meetings, and points the way towards the sector’s future evolution, where patients may have just as much of a voice as researchers and practitioners, and impact and outcomes are the most important metrics.
Understand how and why Antwerp is building its events strategy around future-industries, sustainable solutions and economic development priorities, leveraging academic excellence, start-up innovation, and industrial scaling-up know-how to attract the most relevant international events. An excellent model for other cities wishing to fully exploit their intellectual capital and business sector advantages, from Antwerp Convention Bureau…
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